Form 31: Summons — General
Form 31 is a court-issued summons requiring a person to attend BC Provincial Court in specified family-law or support-enforcement proceedings.
Form 31 is generally issued by the court or clerk on a judge’s behalf. A litigant should not treat an unissued summons as an order or substitute it for Form 30 or Form 29.
What is Form 31?
A summons commands the named person to attend court at a particular date, time and location, often to respond to an application or show cause why an order should not be enforced. The official form lists Rules 32, 140 and 148. It is separate from a Form 23 subpoena, which compels a witness to provide testimony or documents.
When can a court issue a Form 31 summons?
Under Rule 32, a judge or family justice manager may direct an unresponsive party to attend a conference or hearing and may issue Form 31 when a reply has not been filed. Under Rule 148, a judge may issue it after nonattendance at a court appearance. Rule 140 uses it for certain debtor defaults in support enforcement, subject to statutory conditions. A party cannot issue it unilaterally.
What the issued summons should show
- Court registry and file number and, for some support matters, the BCFMA case ID.
- Names of the parties and the person being summoned.
- The relevant reason for the summons, such as failure to reply, failure to attend an earlier court date or failure to comply with a specified order.
- The hearing date, time, place and purpose as directed by the court.
- The court or clerk’s issuance information. Confirm that the version served is the issued document, not a draft.
- Any attached application or supporting materials and the service steps ordered by the court or required by the relevant rule.
Service depends on why the summons was issued
For a summons under Rule 140(1), Rule 140(2) usually requires service by an adult who is not a party, leaving the issued summons, application and supporting documents with the debtor at least seven days before the appearance, unless a allowed alternative applies. Other summons contexts have different directions or service requirements. Read the order and the rule actually governing your case.
If you receive a summons
Read the court date and attendance instructions immediately and check the registry if anything is unclear. The official Form 31 warns that nonattendance may result in a court order made in your absence or a possible warrant. Under Rule 149, a warrant can follow when a properly summoned party does not attend; it is a judicial decision, not inevitable. If you cannot attend, promptly contact the registry and obtain guidance on the correct process rather than simply ignoring the summons.
Worked example
After no reply is filed, the court decides that the respondent should attend a family management conference. A judge or family justice manager directs attendance and issues a Form 31 summons under Rule 32. The respondent receives the summons and should appear as instructed; the other party should not draft an independent summons and claim it was court-issued.
Common misunderstandings
A summons is not proof of wrongdoing. It is not a subpoena for a third-party witness and not an arrest warrant. The consequences depend on the governing rule, adequate notice and what a judge orders. Keep any issued summons and related documents together.
Official sources
- Official BC government Form 31 (PDF)
- BC Provincial Court Family Rules — Rules 32, 140, 148–149
- Province of BC: Provincial family forms library
Primary-source cross-check: October 13, 2026. Targeted form guide review, not a legal certification of every possible exception or later amendment.